To Feel Wanted
by a-and-afan413
Summary: Ally Dawson has always looked up to her older brother. What happens when he abandons her and his two-month-old daughter and Ally is forced to raise the baby as her own? Throw a budding romance with an up-and-coming pop star and some crazy friends into the mix and see where this romantic drama story takes us! Better than it sounds- rated T for some short sections.
1. Prologue

**AN: This story is based very loosely on Sunshine by Daddysgirl11. So, if you recognize any details, that's why. Please let me know what you think!**

Dear Diary,

Hi! It's Ally Jane, again! I'm sorry I haven't written in you in a while, I've been really busy! I just moved into a new foster home- I'll be staying with the Macks until I finish 5th grade next spring. They're keeping Danny, too! It's been like 3 years since my brother and I got to stay in the same foster home, so I'm super excited to get to be with him again! They have another foster child, too! His name is Dez and he has crazy red hair (it matches his personality really well.)

Anyway, me and Danny talked about something really exciting today! He said that in 3 years, when he turns 18, he's going to leave and start working hard and saving up money so that I can come stay with him once I turn 16! I know that's a long time away, but I still think it's awesome that he would do that for me so I don't have to stay with foster parents until I turn 18.

Well, Mrs. Mack is calling us down for dinner, so I'll talk to you later, diary. Peace out!

**8 months later**

Dear Diary,

Hey, diary! Ally Jane, here! Today, Dez, Danny, and I went go-kart racing. It was so much fun. Dez is the best foster brother I think I've ever had. I'm really sad that we won't be going to the same foster family or middle school in 2 months. I'm really going to miss him. Maybe one day we'll be in the same home again. But it would have to be before I turn 16 because Danny is gonna get me and keep me! I'm so ready to turn 16. All of my foster families have been really nice, and they let me see Danny all the time, but they aren't my real family and I don't like moving around all the time.

Well, that's all I really have to say for now. See ya, diary!

**3 years later**

Dear diary,

Wow, I haven't written in you in like a year. I think it's been since Danny turned 18. Well, guess what? Today is my 14th birthday! Only 2 more years until I get to stay with Danny. My best friend Trish and I are going to the mall and then having a sleepover at the Garrison's house to celebrate. Oh yeah, the Garrisons are my new foster family. I moved in with them like four months ago. They're pretty cool. They have a one year old baby that I love to babysit! Anyways, Trish and I met at our high school. She's probably one of the coolest girls I've ever met. Well, gotta get to the mall!

**6 months later**

Dear diary,

It's been 4 months since I've heard from Danny. I'm starting to worry about him. He promised we'd stay in touch after he turned 18. And he promised I could stay with him when I turned 16. I've tried calling him, but he doesn't answer. I hope he's okay.

**1 year later**

Well, Diary, only 6 months until my 16th birthday. I haven't heard from Danny in about a year. He told me he was going to work for some oil rig or something. When I asked about our deal for my birthday, he just shrugged it off. I'm starting to think he isn't coming for me. I should've known. Everyone else lets me down, why shouldn't he? The only person I feel like I can really count on is Trish. I'm starting to get really discouraged.

**2.5 years later**

The time has come, diary. I'm 18 years old today. I'm legal and ready to make my way in the world. I'm graduating high school in 2 months and then I'll be working for a year to save up some money for college so I don't have as many student loans to pay off when I get out. Until then, I'll be living with Trish in the apartment her parents are getting her near the college campus. I feel bad about not being able to pay rent, but her parents said they understand and told me not to worry about it.

I still haven't heard from Danny. I think I'm going to try to go out to find him in my free time. I know he let me down, but he's still my brother and I miss him a lot.


	2. Lana

Thirteen years. Thirteen years of my life have led up to this day. I strapped on my white high heels and straightened my royal blue gown. Trish stood next to me, applying her third coat of mascara.

"So, he's really not coming?" she asked, sadly.

"Nope," I replied, popping the 'p' sound. I can't believe my big brother, who was my rock for so long, has made no attempt to contact me or any indication that he even received the invitation to my one and only high school graduation.

"It'll be okay," Trish said. "We'll go to Michael Henderson's party tonight and get you wasted. It'll be great no matter what."

I giggled mostly because Trish knew good and well that I would be doing no such thing. As usual, I would probably lounge around observing. Drinking and dancing are most definitely not my thing.

We walked out of Trish's bathroom and told her parent's that we'd see them after we walked across the stage and received our diplomas.

I guess I shouldn't be so upset because I knew that he wouldn't be there. But still, I kept hoping that he would walk through the door. "Psyche! Haha Ally-cat, you didn't really think I'd miss your graduation, did ya?" Yeah, like that would ever happen. The truth is, Danny left me to rot. He abandoned me and never came back. Not even when my sixteenth birthday rolled around. I'm not going to let it ruin my life; I just want to know why. That's why I'm going to find him. I haven't told Trish much about it, but I'm planning on starting my search for Danny tomorrow. I don't know what I'm expecting, really, but I just want to know why he never came back to get me. 

* * *

"Alright, thank you," I said into my phone. I just finished speaking to the manager at L. C. Construction. He told me that no one named Danny Dawson had ever been on his payroll. Well, onto the next one. Up next- Perkins Construction.

"Hi, I'm looking for Daniel Dawson. Does he work there?" I asked after an older man answered the phone.

"Sorry, ma'am. Dan got fired last week 'cos he kept skipping out on work," he told me. My heart quickly sank.

"Oh, okay. Um, do you happen to know his home address? He's my brother and I've been trying to find him for a while," I figured I might as well give it a shot.

"Yeah, sure, let me go find his file. We aren't too busy right now." Oh wow.

The manager at the construction company read me off the address he had on file for Danny and i wrote it down quickly. I can't believe this is happening. And now that it is, I'm really nervous. What do I do if I find him? What if he really did just leave me because I was a burden? I don't know if I can handle finding that out...

"TRISH!" I yelled up to her bedroom. "I'M LEAVING FOR A BIT, I'LL BE BACK LATER!" I quickly grabbed my purse and ran out the door before she started asking questions. It's 5 PM on a Saturday. It's as good a time as any to look for my brother.

* * *

The address I'd been given was for an apartment about 30 minutes away. I hopped into my 1996 Toyota Camry that I saved up for for years. It's nothing special, but it's my transportation. When I pulled into the parking lot I was definitely shocked. It looked like the type of place druggies and cheap hookers lived. I highly doubt that any room in any of the buildings had ever seen a cleaning product. I found # 102 and walked up to the door. As I raised my hand to knock on the door I sucked in a big breath.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

To say that I was shocked by what happened when the door to 23 Akers Ave #102 swung open is the understatement of the century. There's no way in a million years that I could've ever seen this coming. I never would've imagined seeing my 23 year old brother sporting a stained wife beater, a pair of boxers, and a makeshift burp rag on his shoulder opening the front door to this tiny apartment while very awkwardly holding a screaming newborn.

When I saw him my car keys and my jaw hit the ground. A puzzled look crossed his his face before he asked "Ally?"

Well, I guess he hasn't seen me since I was about 13. Makes sense that he may not recognize me immediately. But I think I should be a little more shocked than he is. After all, there is a baby in his arms.

"Um, yeah, it's me," I responded awkwardly. "Can I, um, take that?"I asked him, gesturing toward the screaming baby who looked unbearably uncomfortable in his uneasy grasp.

"Yes, please," he replied, all but throwing the baby into my arms."So, uh, how did you find me?"

"What, were you hiding from me?" I asked him harshly as I held the baby close to my chest and bounced lightly to rock it. I made some shushing noises near its ear and it's screams started to decrease in volume.

"No, not really. I just... I was ashamed of what happened to me and I didn't think it was the kind of thing you needed to be around," he supplied lamely.

"So you left me in foster care to rot" I spat, at a low volume to avoid alerting the baby.

"No. Please, Ally, come sit down. Lets talk." I allowed the miserable shell of my brother, with his skinny frame and sunken in eyes, lead me to a couch that smelled like moth balls and cigarettes with a slight tinge of animal urine. "So, I guess the main thing you're probably wondering about is the kid. Her name's Lana and she's about 2 months old. April 12th is her birthday. She's mine, and I have no idea what to do with her."

"Well where's her mother?" I asked, slightly shocked.

"Oh, Becca? That crazy bitch left almost as soon as the umbilical cord was cut. She tried for about 8 days before she ran for it. Told me she was going to visit her mom for a couple hours and never came back. I guess I should've seen it coming. I mean, what mother leaves to visit their mom without their week old baby?"

"So, you're going to raise her by yourself?"I asked, trying not to let the doubt in my mind be evident in my voice.

"I'm not sure. I really, honestly don't want her. But I'd hate for her to have to grow up like we did." His answer floored me. What kind of parent didn't want their child? Just knowing that Lana was my niece was enough to make me feel an instant, incredible bond with her. How could her parents not feel it? 

* * *

**AN:I'm not too sure about this chapter. Next chapter will be Ally's brother explaining why he didnt come back for her. Please review and let me know what you think and what you'd like to see happen in this story**


	3. Danny's Story

**AN: sorry it's been a while. I got caught up in some stuff, but here you go- Danny's explanation**

* * *

"Okay, Ally, so, the reason I never came back for you is that you were probably much better off without me, anyway. Once I got into high school, I sort of clicked with the wrong crowd. I started stealing and doing drugs. Just cigarettes, pot, and heavy drinking, at first. But over the next couple of years it got worse. I started taking my foster mom's prescription pills and I even did cocaine. Honestly, by the time you turned 16, I was so messed up I had almost completely forgotten about you. I know that's a horrible thing to say, but it's true.

"Anyway, I was going nowhere fast and one day, almost a year and a half ago, I overdosed on drugs and ended up in the hospital. I nearly died that day and I decided I needed to make some changes. I started a rehab program as soon as I could, and that's where I met Becca. I was really into her at first. We hung out all the time and we tried to keep each other clean. She made me get a job,and we moved in together- into this dump. After about five months of dating, or whatever- we never really put a label on it- we found out she was pregnant. That was probably the second scariest day of my life. I guess it helped, though. She got completely clean. As far as I know,she didn't so much as smoke a cigarette once she found out. Other than that, though, she kind of ignored the fact that she was pregnant. She never talked about the future much, or about the kid. She was probably planning on leaving from the start. But at the very least, she had the decency not to use while she was pregnant. But, yeah, she skipped town near the end of April and I haven't seen or heard from her since. I've been sstruggling to figure out what to do with the baby. A neighbor has been keeping her for free while I was working, but I got fired last week so now I don't know what to do."

I sat attentively and listened to my brother's story. I couldn't believe what had become of him. My big brother almost died from a drug overdose- I had never even had more than a sip of alcohol and never even tried a single puff rom a cigarette. I don't even like to take Aspirin too often! How could my brother be a drug addict?

"So, how are you going to pay rent here if you don't have a job?" I asked him.

"I've been job searching when the old lady next door is available to watch Lana. She can't do it much more, though. She's been getting really sick. If I don't find something soon, we'll be pretty screwed. I don't have much in savings. And I don't know what I'll do when there's no one to watch the kid." He says, his head in his hands.

By now, Lana is sound asleep in my arms. I noticed that he's only said her name twice now. He usually just calls her 'the kid' or 'the baby.' I really don't think he's made that much of a connection with her yet. It must be hard when he's trying so hard just to provide for her. Maybe I can help him form that connection with her.

"Hey, so, why don't you tell me more about Lana?" I asked him.

"Well, I just told you the whole story of how she got here. What else would you wanna know?" he asks.

"Her full name, what she weighed at birth, what she likes,what she doesn't?" I supplied.

"Um, well, her full name is Lana Lauren Dawson. I think she was like six pounds something. I'm not sure. Uh.. I'm not really sure if she likes anything yet- I mean, she's just a baby." His answer surprised me. Of course she has a personality and likes and dislikes. She may only be two months old, but by now a parent should notice some things. I can tell that he's really struggling with this. I know I should be hurt about the drugs and how he forgot me, but I just can't help but focus on helping this beautiful little one out.

"Okay, well, I have nothing to do tomorrow. I'm off work. Why don't I watch her while you go job hunting?" It seemed only natural to offer to help my struggling brother and niece.

"Wow, thanks, Alls. That would be a huge help." He replies, excitedly.

We sit and talk for another hour or so before I decide to head back to Trish's house. When I walk through the door, her whole family is sitting in the living room watching TV.

"Hey, Ally! Where have you been?" Trish asks.

"Um... I found Danny,"I say sheepishly.

"What?!"

"Wow, Ally, that's great!"

"I didn't know you were looking- that's cool," Trish and her parents reply as Mr. Roberto, her dad, mutes the TV to hear my story.

"Yeah, I've been trying to find him for a couple days now. I found his old employer who gave me his address and I went there today."

"Well, he better have a damn good reason for leaving you behind and breaking his promise," Trish said. I love how protective of me she is. She's really a great friend.

"Um, actually, it turns out he got in with the wrong crowd and got heavily into drugs. He said he nearly died about a year and a half ago and then he started trying to get clean. And now, he has a two month old daughter that he's raising by himself. The mother walked out on them about a week after she was born. I'm actually going over there again tomorrow to babysit her so that Danny can find a job."

"Well I think that's great, Ally!" Mrs. Theresa, Trish's mom, says. "I'm glad that you found him and that you're able to help him in his time of need."

"Me too," I smile at her. "I know he's been through some things, but I'm glad that we've reconnected and that I get to spend some time with my niece. Danny has always been the only blood- related family I've ever had. It feels so amazing to be able to add to that. And Lana is so adorable."

* * *

**AN:Let me know what you think! Sorry it's so short. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions, PLEASE let me know!**


	4. Gone

The next morning I got up early and got to Danny's apartment just before 9 AM. When I got there, Lana was crying again and Danny had left her in the small playpen that was her makeshift crib while he was getting ready to go out job hunting. As soon as he let me in I went over and picked her up.

"Have you fed her yet this morning?" I asked him.

"Uhh I fed her when she was crying at like four this morning."

"Yup, it's definitely time to be fed again. And she probably needs a diaper change." I read up on some baby info last night before I went to bed so that I would be ready today. I've stayed in foster homes with babies before, but I never had to do a whole lot of keeping track of feeding and sleep schedules. I just fed them and changed diapers when asked. I changed Lana's diaper and heated up a bottle for her while Danny told me the places he was planning to check for jobs. When he left, I laid Lana on the floor and just made faces at her and tried to do different things to stimulate her brain and things like that. I imagine she isn't getting a whole lot of that with Danny as a father, unfortunately. Hopefully I'll be able to be around her more and help with those areas.

Danny got back at around 5 PM. I spent the day talking to Lana, lightly playing with her, and paying special attention to her needs. I think I make a pretty great aunt.

"Find anything?" I asked Danny.

"Not sure. I filled out tons of applications. Some said theirs were only online so I spent the last couple hours at the library doing those. A couple places said they would give me a call sometime this week. Hopefully I can find something, though."

"Well, I'd offer to watch Lana so that you can look again tomorrow, but I have to work a double shift. I'm off the next night though, if you need help."

"Actually, I know this is asking a lot, but do you think you could stay the night? I really need to catch up on some sleep and it's hard when I have to get up to feed her.." he trailed off.

"No, I can definitely do that! I loved watching her today. Tell you what, my best friend Trish and I are moving into our new apartment next week. If you'll help us do a little heavy lifting to get all of our furniture and stuff into the new place, I'll grant you two nights of babysitting!" He beamed up at me after my offer.

"That sounds great, sis. Thank you so much for all of your help. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I should've tried to find you sooner. I'm really sorry things didn't turn out the way we planned," I felt sorry for Danny. He looked really lost and like he had no clue what he was doing. He was always such a good looking guy. He had short, dirty blonde hair and a strong jaw. He looks like Nate from Gossip Girl, if he did a few years of drugs.

"Hey, I understand. I didn't need to be around that kind of influence. It wouldn't have been good for me to be with you," I said, patting his shoulders.

"Well then I guess I at least did something right," he laughed.

"Alright, well I've got to get going. I'll see you when I get off work the day after tomorrow."

* * *

It's been about a week and a half now since I found Danny. He still hasn't nailed down a job, but he's really been looking. I'm pretty proud of him. Today is the day that he's helping Trish and I move today. He brought Lana's pen with him so that she could still take naps while we set everything up.

I still can't believe that Trish's parents are letting me stay here rent-free. They said all I have to pay for is the bills. It's a great place. It has its own separate entry from the outside, and a small patio connected to the living room. It's a big open floor plan living room, kitchen, and dining area. Then it has a big master bedroom, which will of course belong to Trish, and two smaller bedrooms that share a bathroom. One of these rooms will be mine and we're using the third one as an office/guest space. Her parents bought the unit so they thought the three bedroom would have a better resale value. I don't think that much space is necessary, but I'm glad that they're so generous. They've even given us permission to paint the rooms however we want.

I've saved up money for a while and hit up several garage sales and Craigslist ads, so I've accumulated enough furniture to fill up a room. I have a decent mattress on a simple bed frame; an old, ornate dresser that I've painted a dark grey; a mismatched nightstand that I painted the same color; and a minty blue, floral bedding set that I found on sale. I must say, my bedroom is really coming together. I'm planning on painting my walls bright yellow when I get some extra cash.

Trish's room is definitely a lot more... Flamboyant than mine. She's planning to paint her walls a bright fuchsia to go with her black furniture and zebra print bedding with purple accents. Luckily, I managed to convince her that she doesn't want the whole apartment covered in crazy animal prints, so we limited it to her room and a cheetah-print rug that honestly went really well with the brown leather sectional in the living room.

"Ooh, Danny, why don't you set up Lana's pen in the guest room while we set up our rooms? We don't have much furniture for in there yet so it'll be a good place for her so that we aren't waking her up with all of our noise," I suggested.

"Sounds good," he said, going to set it up.

After the playpen was in the guest room and I had fed Lana and settled her in for a nap, I went to check on the progress. Most of the moving was being done by Danny, Mr. Roberto, and Trish's little brother JJ, while Trish and her mother supervised and organized the decorative touches. Danny had my bed frame set up and was putting the mattress on top when I came in to check on him.

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked. He seemed to have it all handled.

"Oh, I've got this in here. I heard Mrs. De la Rosa mention something about the dishes and silverware needing to go in the kitchen, though," he smiled up at me.

"Sounds like the perfect job for me," I said as I headed off to take care of it.

"No, honey, move the bed a little more to the right. It needs to be centered to the window," I heard Mrs. Theresa tell her husband and son.

"Well if I do that it'll be too close to the bathroom door. It may not even clear it," he replied. "We should've gotten the queen bed instead of the king."

"Well, why don't we put it against the other wall? there's plenty of room" Trish suggested as her brother groaned.

"That's what I said in the first place! But you said it had to be under the window and not across from it so the sun didn't wake you up or something," JJ griped.

" Oh well, I'll be fine. I'll get thick curtains. Thanks for your concern though," Trish smiled smugly.

"Well can you at least help us out? Your ginormous bed weighs a good half-ton."

"Can't. I have to go hang my shower curtain," She replied quickly as she shut herself into her bathroom. I giggled at Trish and her family as I continued to put the dishes away into the kitchen cabinets.

We spent about four more hours getting all of our furniture and necessities set up. All that's left now is the decorative things that we haven't officially decided on yet. By now it's about 8 o'clock and we've decided to order pizza for dinner and all eat it together and watch a movie in our new place.

Mr. Roberto called and ordered three medium pizzas and Trish and I thumbed through all of the movies we had until we decided on Space Jam, which Danny loved because it was his favorite movie when we were little. Throughout the movie I fed Lana and played with her feet. Man, I'm so hooked on my sweet little niece.

After the movie was over, the De la Rosas left and Danny watched as Trish and I played with Lana.

"Hey, Alls, can I ask you a huge favor?" Danny nervously asked as he yawned.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, I'm like crazy tired. Would you mind if I left Lana's playpen in the guest room and she stayed with you tonight so I can get some sleep? I'll come get her at like nine in the morning?" he asked, sounding more and more nervous as he wrung his hands.

"Um, yeah, I guess I can do that," I said as I looked at Trish, who shrugged. I knew that there was no way Lana's crying would wake her up in the middle of the night. She sleeps like a log. Danny looked instantly relieved when I agreed.

"Thank you so much. Ally, I want you to know how much I appreciate you and how glad I am that Lana has someone like you to really look after her and give her the attention she needs," he said. It was so heartfelt and emotional that I had to hug him.

"No problem, Danny. And don't worry, you're doing the best you can," I replied. Danny paused for a while.

"I know. I'm doing what needs to be done, for her own good." With that, he walked out the door.

Trish and I cleaned up the remnants of our pizza dinner and stayed up talking and holding Lana as she snoozed. At about midnight, I fed her and changed her diaper and put her to bed for the night as I headed to do the same. I left both of our doors open so that I could hear her when she woke up. For the first time that I'm aware of, she actually slept until about 4:30, and when I woke up I fed her, changed her, and she immediately fell back asleep. I think that me staying with her is really helping. I'm so glad I found Danny when I did. By the time I got back in bed, it was just past 5 AM and I was incredibly tired.

Surprisingly, I didn't wake up again until my alarm went off at 9 AM. Danny should be getting here to pick Lana up soon. I checked on her and she was still sleeping, so I got dressed in a pink tank top and white shorts and made myself breakfast and heated her up a bottle so that she wold be fed by the time he gets here.

I waited another hour and a half before I decided to call him and check on him.

"Hi, you've reached Daniel leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you," I heard for the third time this morning. Normally I would just assume he accidentally slept in, but I have this weird feeling in my gut.

"Trish?" I called as I knocked on her bedroom door.

"Ungh?" she grunted at me.

"Danny was supposed to pick Lana up two hours ago and he isn't here yet. I've called him three times and he hasn't answered so I wanted to go check on him. Can you watch Lana? I don't have her car seat, so I can't take her," I said, apologetically.

"Yeah, sure," she stretched and groaned as she got out of bed. "I need to finish putting my decorative stuff up anyway. Let me know what happens."

"Of course," I said, picking Lana up and handing her over to Trish. I grabbed my car keys and headed to Danny's apartment.

When I got there, I knocked on the door five different times before I finally decided to try the handle. To my surprise, it swung right open. What surprised me even more was the lack of stuff. Danny's XBOX and a lot of his food were gone. On the kitchen counter was most of Lana's stuff, along with a note.

_Dear Ally,_

_I'm so sorry. I hate that I'm leaving you again, but I really feel like I have no choice. I'm just not cut out to be on a father, and you've been so good to Lana. She's been much happier and healthier since you found us, and I know that you're what's best for her. What I'm saying is that I'm leaving. And I'm leaving Lana with you. I'm going to find a job and hopefully make something of my life instead of struggling just to be a tolerable dad. I know that Lana will be better off with you, but I also know that it will be a struggle for you. I'm leaving you $1000 and all of Lana's stuff. Once I find a job, I'll start sending you money when I can. I can't tell you where I'm going though, because I can't afford to have you find me. I know I'm the worst brother in the world for doing this to you, but I know it's what's best for the kid. Please, Ally, don't give up on her. I've seen the way you are with her. You're going to be a great mom. And that's what I want you to be. Please just be Lana's mother. And be her father while you're at it. You're the only person I know who can give her the love and care she deserves. I know I've done nothing to deserve this favor from you, but please... do it for her._

_Love, Danny_

Oh... my... God. He's gone. He's really gone. And he left me all alone to raise a baby. His baby! I've never even had sex before and he expects me to take on the responsibility of motherhood? I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do...

* * *

**AN: I tried writing a longer chapter! What do you think? Also, I'm letting you guys decide- should I do another chapter of Lana being a baby or just skip to present day and get into the real story? Review and let me know!**


	5. Years Later

**AN: I'm sorry it took so long and that it's so short! I had sorority recruitment that I had to get ready for, and I'm starting my junior year of college so it's pretty hectic, but I'm starting on the next chapter tomorrow.**

* * *

"Ughhh, what time is it?" Trish asked groggily.

"It's 8 AM. You have to be at your first day of work in an hour," I replied. Last week  
Trish landed this new job as a talent manager at Starr records. She's incredibly excited for her first 'big girl job', but that didn't stop her from sleeping through her alarm that went off fifteen minutes ago. "Oh, and I made omelets!"

"Okay, I guess I could get up for that," she giggled as I left her room so that she could get dressed. It's a Monday morning and I'm the only one in this household that seems to be able to tolerate them so I'm on wake-up duty. After I leave Trish's room, I walk back down to the end of the hall and open the door next to mine.

"Good morning my sleepy princess," I coo to my sleeping daughter. I can't believe she's nearly four and a half already. It's been a tough few years, but we've made it through and I can't imagine my life without her.

She has the most precious, round face with a perfect little nose and fair skin. She has beautiful, shoulder-length light blonde hair and big, hazel doe eyes that look almost exactly like mine, except for the color. She's so smart and precocious. Sometimes it's hard to believe that she's only four. Then again, she hasn't had a whole lot of interaction with kids. While I'm working she stays with Trish's mom, whom Lana refers to as Abby because she had trouble saying Abuela, which is what Mrs. Teresa wanted to be called.

She didn't stir when I flicked on the light, so I walked over to her bed and rubbed her back gently. "Lana, wake up, baby. It's Aunt Trish's first day of work. We have to tell her good luck."

"Good luck," she whispers in her tiny voice. She definitely learned her sleeping habits from Trish. In fact, I have plenty of photos of the both of them sprawled out asleep on Trish's big bed with their mouths open.

"No, not like that," I laughed. "Come on. Let's get up." I gently lifted her out of the bed and she wrapped her legs around my waist. I walked her into the kitchen where Trish was grabbing the plate with her favorite omelet-bacon, mushroom, and onions. I grabbed mine and Lana's and we all sat down at the table together as Lana rubbed her eyes. Trish was dressed professionally and had taken her curlers out of her hair. All she had left to do was her makeup.

"Aunt Trish, what do you do at your new job?" Lana asked, taking a small bite of her sausage, tomato, and spinach omelet.

"Well, munchkin, all famous singers have to have managers to help them organize all of the things they need to do. That way they can just write songs and sing while I figure out where their concerts should be and help them do other things like that," she replied.

"So you're gonna get to help Katy Perry? Can I meet her?!" she asked excitedly.

"Um, not exactly, honey," I replied. "She only gets to work with the people her boss assigns her to. She doesn't really get to pick. She probably won't get anybody too famous just yet."

"Oh..." her face fell, clearly disappointed by not being able to meet Katy Perry.

"But-" Trish quickly supplies, "If I start managing someone, I'll introduce you. That way, if they get famous you can say you knew them when."

"When what?" Lana asks, cocking her head to the side.

"When they weren't famous," we both laughed.

We all finished our breakfast and Trish finished getting ready for work. After she left, I cleaned up our dishes from breakfast and got dressed and ready for work. I work at a local, private elementary school as a piano teacher and am paid pretty well because the tuition is high. I got a degree in music education in just three years while Mrs. Teresa watched Lana. I started working at this school from 10:30- 3:00 just a month ago and it's been going really well. I love all the kids that I teach and since I work for the school Lana can go for free so I'll be able to have her there once she starts Kindergarten next year. I really do love it, but my dream has always been to open my own music store and teach lessons out of it. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever make enough money to make that dream a reality. I'm still paying off my student loans. I owe about $5,000 because the rest was covered by scholarships and grants that I worked very hard to get. However, I wasn't able to have a job in college because I had to be home with Lana so I had to take out the loans to help us out. I definitely haven't had a perfect life, but everything is looking up.

Once Lana and I were dressed and ready to go, I loaded us up in the car and drove her to Trish's parents house, dropped her off, and went to work.

* * *

**AN: What would you like to see happen in this story? I love getting input from readers.**


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